How to Create a Balanced Diet

A balanced diet – ahh, the elusive idea that most of us don’t really know how to implement. Creating a balanced diet is something many people struggle with, and here’s my take on it.

I’m noticing a trend among my clients and friends lately, and that is the idea that healthy eating is either “all” or nothing at all.

Women are either eating 100% clean, unprocessed and nutritious food (making a real effort to be healthy – going “all in”). And if they’re not doing that, then they’re eating whatever the heck they want because they might as well.

It’s like one week will be steel-cut oats and salads and steamed vegetables, and the next week will be white bread and sweet biscuits and dessert every single night.

The idea of balance is that it’s not a rollercoaster of “all” and “nothing”. It’s not about giving up on trying to make healthy choices just because of one less-than-ideal day. Or eating takeaway every night because you haven’t done the weekly grocery shop, so you might as well just wait til next week and start again.

You might have heard this cycle referred to as “being good” and “being bad”. Or maybe you’ve used that wording yourself before. I know that in my family, my mum and sisters and I will often say to each other:

“Are you being good, or do you wanna get {insert junk food here} for dinner?”

This goes so much further than labelling food as good and bad, which I really discourage anyway. But labelling yourself as good or bad, depending on what you’re eating? That’s next level mindset stuff.

So, I have an idea. Why don’t we just go back to trying to make the best choices for our health on any single day, in any given moment. Why don’t we stop stressing about whether or not our diets are perfect?

Why don’t we stop being “good” or “bad”, and just do the best we can?

Some days that might look like grilled salmon with oven-baked vegetables and a honey mustard dressing. Other days that might look like a bagged salad with tinned tuna. And that’s okay. Neither of those is good or bad – it just comes down to the best choice you can make on any given day, in any given moment.

Balance isn’t hard to create – but it will require you to change some of the language you use around food and your diet. Everything in moderation, and give yourself a break – you’re doing the very best you can do, and that’s enough right now.